The present invention relates to a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing an information signal on/from a magnetic recording medium by using a rotary head as well as a magnetic reproducing apparatus for reproducing the information signal and more particularly to a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing digital signals as well as a magnetic reproducing apparatus for reproducing digital signals.
JP-A-8-194988 discloses a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus having the tracking function which is stable in each mode, in a VTR for recording/reproducing analog signals and/or digital signals which is compatible with a conventional VTR for recording/reproducing analog signals. The magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus is described as having a long time recording/playback mode even in digital signal recording/reproduction.
In the long time recording/playback mode for digital signals, however, the error rate is degraded when the track pitch is narrowed similarly to the conventional long time recording/playback mode for analog signals, raising a problem that correct reproduction cannot be carried out. Further, the JP-A-8-194988 in no way discloses the high rate recording/reproducing play mode conformable to high-vision video signals.
An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus which is compatible with the conventional analog signal recording/reproducing VTR and which can realize long time recording and/or reproduction for digital signals.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus which is compatible with the conventional analog signal recording and/or reproducing VTR and which can realize long time recording/reproduction play and high rate recording/reproducing play for digital signals.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus for recording/reproducing a digital signal on/from a magnetic recording medium by means of a rotary head, comprises a recording/reproducing circuit for recording/reproducing the digital signal, and a servo circuit for controlling the rotation of the rotary head and the travel of the magnetic recording medium, wherein during N-times long time recording, the travel speed of the magnetic recording medium is set to 1/N of that during normal recording by means of the servo circuit to permit he recording/reproducing circuit to perform recording every N scanning operations of the rotary head and during N-times long time reproduction, the servo circuit sets the travel speed of the magnetic recording medium to 1/N of that during normal recording and controls the travel of the magnetic recording medium such that the level of a reproduction signal reproduced every N scanning operations of the rotary head at a predetermined timing is maximized to permit the recording/reproducing circuit to reproduce the reproduction signal at that time.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus for recording/reproducing a digital signal on a magnetic recording medium by means of a rotary head, comprises the rotary head mounted with a first head group including opposingly disposed heads and a second head group including opposingly disposed N sets of heads, a recording/reproducing circuit having N recording signal output terminals and N reproduction signal input terminals, and a servo circuit for controlling the rotation of the rotary head and the travel of the magnetic recording medium, wherein the apparatus has a first recording/reproducing play mode in which during recording, a recording signal delivered out of one of the N recording signal output terminals of the recording/reproducing circuit is supplied to the first head group to perform recording of one track through one scanning operation and during reproduction, a reproduction signal reproduced with the first head group at a rate of one track per scanning operation is supplied to one of the N reproduction signal input terminals, and a second recording/reproducing play mode in which during recording, N recording signals delivered out of N recording signal output terminals of a recording/reproducing circuit and amplifier are supplied to the second head group to perform recording of N tracks through one scanning operation and during reproduction, N reproduction signals reproduced with the second head group at a rate of N tracks per scanning operation are supplied to the recording/reproducing circuit and amplifier to perform reproduction.